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Exams and school attendance update


GCSEs and A and AS Level exams will not go ahead this summer, the Education Secretary has confirmed. Instead, there will be some form of teacher-assessed grading. The details of how that will happen are not yet finalised, but we will provide details when they are.

Students studying for vocational and technical qualifications should hear from their schools or colleges about their January exams and assessments.

Meanwhile, student attendance in schools is currently about 26 per cent in primary schools and 10 per cent in secondary schools, which includes both local authority schools and academies. There are about 93,000 children in school in Devon, approximately 56,000 in primaries and 37,000 in secondaries.

Devon County Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Schools, James McInnes, said:

“Heads and school staff are working really hard to ensure that children are able to learn, whether that’s in the classroom or virtually.

“The coronavirus crisis has worsened considerably since Christmas and guidelines are having to change to take account of that so our schools are coping with regularly changing advice.

“But many heads and teachers are innovating with real flair. Some schools in Devon are streaming live classroom lessons to children at home and others are recording lessons so that families can make use of them at a time which is convenient to them. That’s particularly helpful if parents are working at home and only have limited devices.

“I know combining classroom learning with virtual learning is adding to teachers’ workload, but I’m glad to see more children actually coming to school than in the last lockdown. It means parents are confident that we’ve done all we can to make schools safe and it’s good for children’s mental health and wellbeing, as well as their learning, to be with their friends.”


Information about school meals and the Government’s provision of laptops and data allowances to support remote learning is also available. You can find further support and guidance on the Devon County Council coronavirus advice page.


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